Hindsight is 2020
by Takada Saiko
Summary: While he and Annie are visiting his family for his much-dreaded birthday celebration, Auggie runs into someone that should have been far away from Glencoe, Illinois: someone that may have had something to do with the bomb that blinded him. R&R please
1. Chapter 1

Title: Hindsight is 20/20

Author: Takada Saiko

A/N: I'm going to regret doing this. Gabrielle Day and I are working on a mutli-chapter Sherlock (BBC) fic now and I'm starting this on my own. Ugh. Well, at least it's between semesters at school, so maybe it'll get done. I just discovered this show the other day and have been watching the eps on hulu for the last couple. I absolutely adore the chemistry between Auggie and Annie. Hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

Chapter One.

Annie Walker had been stuck behind a desk for the better part of the evening and into what some might consider the night, filling out paperwork on her latest assignment. She was glad to have it behind her, sorry to have had to call her sister to tell her to set one less plate at the dinner table, and sure that there was a seat somewhere in Allen's Tavern that was just _calling_ her name once the paperwork had been appropriately filed and settled. She knew she was right about the name calling when she entered the Agency's seemingly regular bar to see her favorite tech geek sitting on the porch. She resisted the urge to smile when she saw him nursing a glass of Jack and attempting to end the conversation with a pretty girl that looked like she hadn't made an intelligent statement yet.

"Auggie," she greeted, laying a free hand on his shoulder to announce her presence.

Auggie Anderson seemed to rouse from his stupor and inclined slightly towards Annie. A smile lit his face. "Annie Walker, finally pull yourself away from work?"

"Don't get me started," she groaned. She glanced over at the girl and noted the irritated look.

"If you'll forgive us…Meredith," Auggie said to the girl, looking as if he might have forgotten her name amongst the mindless jabbering. "Annie was supposed to meet me here tonight."

"Oh… yeah," the girl responded and stood, leaving without an other word.

Annie had to suppress a giggle. "I wish you could have seen the look on her face. It was priceless. What was she going on about anyway?"

"I couldn't even tell you at this point," Auggie sighed. "Regardless, I think I owe you a drink for saving what's left of my sanity."

The blonde grinned and sipped at her beer. "So, were you planning to sit here tonight or -"

"To be honest," he answered, his voice slightly rushed, "I was kind of hoping you'd be here tonight."

Annie felt her face heat up suddenly and she was glad he couldn't see it. She knew, though, if she were forced to speak he'd hear the embarrassment from her.

"You have this weekend off, right?"

"Yeah, but you know how that goes," she responded after a moment and several sips from her drink.

Auggie took a deep breath, as if steadying himself for what he was about to say. "Okay, well, I've got a favor to ask you, and don't feel like you have to say yes, alright?"

Annie laughed at this. "Alright?" she managed.

"Every year my mom throws this big birthday party for me. She drags the neighborhood into it sometimes and it's all way over the top… It's actually kind of a pain…" He took a long drink of his Jack and Coke. "Well, you see, I didn't go last year because Joan had me working, so I'm in kind of deep to come this year. I was wondering… if maybe you'd like to come along."

Annie had been watching him as he stumbled through his entire awkward request, noting that he was now blushing and seemed to be hiding behind his quickly dwindling drink. She sat in shock, almost unsure of what to say. She and Auggie often went out for drinks, and at times if they both had a free weekend they would catch a movie – something that she'd found to be an interesting experience with him leaning over and asking for descriptions of the scenes that he couldn't put together from the dialogue – but he had never asked her in any sort of a serious tone. As far as she knew, they had never been on anything that she might have considered a date, and she wasn't sure how to take this request to go home with him for a weekend.

"You can say no," he reminded her when she didn't answer. "It just… all of my brothers will be there and it'd be nice to have a friend at my side. It always gets hectic."

A friend by his side. Annie gave a soft smile and placed a hand on top of his. "I'll have to get it cleared with Joan, you know."

"I think she'll clear you."

"You've already talked to her."

A grin that gave away just how embarrassed he was over the entire conversation spread across his face. "Well, that's on a need-to-know basis."

Annie laughed and gave his hand a squeeze. "That's fine then. I didn't have any plans for the weekend anyway."

"Good," Auggie responded, nodding slightly and sipping at his drink only to find ice rushing to meet his lips. He frowned at it. "When did I drink all of that?"

"Oh, as you were rushing through asking me if I'd go home with you to meet your mom," Annie joked, nudging him slightly. She signaled for two more of what they had. "You know… I've never heard you talk about your family. What should I expect?"

Auggie sighed heavily. "They're fine… normal, I guess. I'm the youngest of five brothers."

"Good grief," she mumbled.

"Yeah… I was the runt," he grinned. "Am still the runt. Mom and Dad still live in Glencoe and the others live close by. Brant's the oldest. He's married with a kid on the way. I don't think his wife like's me too much."

"Why?"

"I missed their wedding because I was sent to Iraq," he said quietly. He shrugged, accepting his next drink from the waitress that set it right in front of him. "Anyway, second down from Brant is Peyton. He's married and divorced already… Kind of a big kid. Hugh and Dixon are worse. They were high school jocks and never really grew out of it. Then there's me."

"The baby of the family?"

"Yeah… I don't think Mom really meant to have any more after Dixon."

Annie laughed. "Your mom dotes on you?"

"More than I'd like and especially… Well, she thinks I should have moved home after I lost my sight. It's been a long-standing argument."

Annie watched him carefully as he spoke, noting his expression growing thoughtful and slightly darker than she was used to. "I'm sure she just never grew out of the mom and little boy stage," she murmured quietly. "I know my mom still likes to play the over-indulging mother part every once and a while."

Auggie nodded. "I guess. Anyway, I'll get everything squared away with the plane tickets tonight. I should probably head on home."

"If you wait a few I can drive you."

A smile crossed the blind agent's lips. "Annie, what would I do without you?"

* * *

A/N: Please feed my review addiction.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all of the lovely reviews! They feed my habit quite well. I'm thinking that I will write shorter chapters so that I can update more. Is that alright with everyone? I'm **hoping** to get a chapter or two up a day, depending on how things go.

Enjoy!

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Chapter Two.

As a rule, Auggie Anderson had always been pretty self-confident. It had become a self-defense mechanism after Iraq, but he'd always been fairly sure of himself. He had to be with four older brothers ready to pummel him at any given second while growing up.

No matter how self-confident Auggie thought of himself he could keep his mind from wandering to what had possessed him to ask Annie with him on his yearly sojourn to Glencoe. His mother would be thrilled, of course, and Dixon and Hugh would be flirts as soon as they found out they weren't dating…

Auggie sighed as he reached into the closet, feeling the hangers for the shirt he wanted. His fingers slid across the appropriate tab and he pulled it down and packed it away. It was only two and a half days, he reminded himself. They'd return late Sunday and be back at work as usual on Monday.

And she had agreed to come.

A sigh escaped his lips and he clicked the small button on his watch. "Five o'clock PM," the automated voice rang out. He and Annie had scooted out not long after lunch and she was supposed to be by any second.

The doorbell rang and Auggie smiled. Right on time.

He really wished he could have seen her before he lost his sight, but he had a mental image of her. It was the one that appeared in his mind's eye whenever the scent of grapefruit hit his sensitive nose. He had a running movie in his head most of the day, refusing to allow the blindness of his eyes keep him from seeing the world around him. At least he had something to go off of. He knew she was beautiful, and he pictured wide, innocent eyes. He'd think blue, but that would be too cliché and she was anything but cliché. He knew she was blonde and then there was that way that she carried herself in those heels of hers….

Auggie took a deep breath before opening the door. "Right on time."

Annie grinned widely. "You about ready?"

He nodded. "Almost," he said, motioning for her to follow him into the large apartment.

Annie closed the door behind her, wide brown eyes taking in the entire place. She'd dropped him off plenty of times, but usually the hour was late and they were both exhausted, so she'd never been inside. It was larger than it had looked from the outside and even stepped up into a half story up. She watched Auggie move about without the use of any sort of cane. He was comfortable here and knew where everything was placed. She'd wager nothing was ever moved.

"Fridge is to your left if you want anything," Auggie called from the back of the apartment.

"I'm good, thanks," she answered, still browsing. Her eyes came to rest on a rather large bookshelf and she smiled. It was sectioned off into two parts, and the left's books' titles were subbed in Braille. She ran her fingers across them, wondering just how long it had taken her friend to become as quickly proficient as he was then. She moved to the second half of the shelf and realized that the only indents left were from the titles. The books had no Braille in them. With a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach she realized that they were from before Iraq.

"Sorry, was just finishing up," Auggie explained as he reentered the room, bag slung over his shoulder and walking stick in hand. It was almost strange to see him use the old fashioned stick when she was used to seeing the green light go ahead of anywhere that he walked. She supposed it would raise too many questions with his family though.

"That's alright. I was just poking through your library over here."

Auggie grinned broadly. "Does it hold a candle to what you've collected in all your travels?"

"More than, but I saw some foreign books in here."

"I picked up souvenirs when I was abroad in the field. Most of the time it was in the form of books. You're welcomed to any of those on the right side. I can't get any use out of them anymore, anyhow."

Annie let her eyes travel over the works once more. "Why've you kept them so long?"

Auggie shrugged, moving towards the door. "Strange sense of nostalgia, maybe? Grab one and let's head out. Airports are always hell."

* * *

Auggie was right, of course, and the airport was packed. It was the latter part of the summer and tourists were heading in every direction. They dodged children and unresponsive parents until finally falling into seats.

"Hurry up and wait."

"I'm sorry?" Auggie laughed, inclining his head so that he appeared to be looking at her.

Annie grinned. "When I was growing up, my dad always hated to come to airports. He said we hurried up to wait. I think that's why we usually drove cross-country."

"Beautiful scenery, at least. I've driven from DC to Glencoe before."

Annie shifted in the stiff-backed chair, watching her friend carefully. There was so much that she didn't know about what had happened. How long ago was it? How did he explain a CIA-related injury to his family? She opted to ask about the latter.

"They thought I was in the military," he explained, stretching his legs out and slouching slightly in his chair. "It explained being gone so much and for so long. It was definitely a cover that made Dad proud, so I had no complaints. They knew I was in the Middle East. so the real story could be told, just not in entirety."

"What do they think you do now?"

"Computer work for some company here in town. Mom's not as interested in that as telling me that she'd rather have me back home. You'll see."

"That bad then?"

"That bad then," he agreed.

"At least she's not trying to marry you off," Annie grumbled. "My sister's decided since Mom's not close by that she needs to take on that roll. I told her that I was going with you this weekend and she's now convinced I've been dating behind her back."

Auggie grinned. "Oh, you'll get a fair bit of interrogation, don't worry."

"You're family's the reason that you can out-lie to polygraph machine?"

Her friend let out a choked laugh. "You heard about that, huh?"

"Heard you gave him a run for his money and he's not looking forward to the next session."

"Good," Auggie murmured, seeming perfectly content with having one of Arthur's henchmen afraid of him.

Before they knew it their numbers were called for the plane and they had boarding and were halfway to Illinois. Annie knew that she should be more troubled about the fact that she was going to meet her friend's family, but it was strangely comforting. It was like for a couple days, at least, she could pretend to be normal. For a couple days she'd spend it with the only person she was really interested spending time with these days outside of her sister's family. For a short weekend, she might just forget Ben. She glanced to where Auggie was leaned up against the window, eyes staring blankly at the clouds that passed as if he were watching them. Yes, she thought with a smile, she might just be able to forget Ben for the weekend.

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A/N: Feed the addiction, please.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Next chapter up. It's time for Annie to meet at least part of the crazy Anderson household.

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Chapter Three.

* * *

Auggie had described his father – the one that would pick them up at the airport – as a man of medium height and a stern face. He warned Annie not to take anything he said too seriously, as often he spoke without thinking and often spoke of a person instead of to them, even if he was standing within earshot.

As they exited Annie spotted him. He was just as her friend had described, with graying hair that was receding ever so slightly. He moved forward as one that would command respect and stopped directly in front of his son. Auggie's smile that would have greeted him was cut short as he spoke in a low, almost accusatory tone. "You didn't tell us that you were bringing a lady with you."

"Sorry, it was sort of last minute. Annie Walker, meet my dad. Dad, Annie Walker."

"Christopher Anderson," he said stiffly, reaching an stiff hand out to shake hers. He watched her carefully. "Do you need to pick up luggage?"

"No, we took it onboard," Auggie answered easily, not missing a beat. If his father's tone bothered him, he never showed it. "Should we get back? I'm sure Mom's been in one of her moods with all of this."

"She wasn't happy that you didn't come last year."

"Well, it's not like that was intentional. It was really hectic around the work place last summer-"

His father made a motion for him to stop, but then let out a low growl as if he just remembered that his son could not see him. "Never mind," he grumbled curtly. "You'll just have to say it all again when we get to the house."

"Please tell me that she hasn't invited the neighborhood this year," Auggie said with a sigh. He reached an arm for Annie as they began moving and she took hold of it, guiding him silently through the busy airport.

"That's tomorrow," Christopher Anderson said plainly. "Don't complain. It's all she's talked about for months, and you can show off your new eye-candy."

Auggie's face turned bright red and Annie's eyes widened at the statement. "Dad!" he managed, stopping dead in his tracks. Annie all but pushed him out of the way of a group of out-going tourists before they ran both of them over after the sudden stop. "She's not… It's not like that."

"Really?" his father asked, never bothering to look his direction. "You haven't had a serious relationship since… since Iraq, and you bring home a girl you've never even mentioned and you expect me to think differently?"

"I _have_ had a serious relationship since Iraq. Just because I don't tell you about it doesn't mean I don't have them. I don't ever bring girls home because I don't want them to hear all of this!" He tugged his arm from Annie's hand, massaging the bridge of his nose with his newly freed hand. "And Annie is a friend, Dad. I'd ask you don't treat her like that."

"Excuse me."

"I… It's fine," Annie stammered, looking over at Auggie who was still fuming. "Maybe I shouldn't have come… This is your family time and all…."

"I wanted you here," Auggie said sharply. He realized his tone and intentionally took it down a notch. "I wanted you to come. It's the only birthday present I wanted."

Annie felt her face heat up and her friend reached out for her arm again, looping it through his own. He looked in his father's general direction and the man did not return the gaze. "Let's go."

"I wasn't the one that stopped in front of everyone," Christopher responded and began walking again.

* * *

The house that Auggie had grown up in was large. It had to be to be a home to five growing and energetic boys. It was two story with what looked like an attic converted to be a room overlooking the street. It was the furthest inward in a large cul-de-sac and set itself apart with its beautiful white trim and stone wall around it.

Christopher had not spoke a word on the drive from the airport to the house, and now that he pulled up to the garage he merely cut the engine and grabbed the two carry-on bags that Auggie and Annie had brought. He moved with a gruff sort of shuffle up to the door and unlocked it. If he announced his own presence, Annie never heard it.

"I'm so sorry," Auggie whispered when he was sure that his father was out of earshot. "He's gotten worse. I didn't expect that."

"It's okay."

"No, it's really not." Auggie frowned and they began moving along the stone path to the door. "He had no right to talk to you like that. I was the one that asked you here."

Annie stopped and tugged on her friend's sleeve, pulling him closer to her. "It's really okay. Some people have strange ways of communicating. I've been all over the world and seen every type. He's not going to offend me."

Auggie opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when the screen door flew open and a tiny little woman rushed out. Her face lit up and she had flour blotches on her cheek and forehead. "August!" she called as she raced to meet him. Her embraced nearly sent she and the recipient falling back. "I'm so glad you made it." She stopped, turning to Annie and blushing modestly. "I'm so sorry, dear. Christopher had said that Auggie brought a lady-friend. I'm Tammy Anderson, his mother. I hope you had a safe flight in. Now, honey, I didn't know Auggie was bringing a friend so we don't have a room set up, but that's okay. We'll come up with something. I'm so glad you came with him. I was starting to think that he would never start dating again after Tash!"

"Mom!" Auggie managed, cutting off her ramble.

"What, honey? It's true!"

Annie couldn't hide a smile as Tammy Anderson finally finished shaking her hand and merely held onto it, glaring wildly at her son and speaking in expressive tones about a woman that Annie had never heard of. Apparently, according to Tammy, she was beautiful and smart, and might have even been willing to live close by. DC, of course, was no place for her son.

"Mom, I'm not getting into that this early in the game," Auggie grumbled. "Can we get inside?"

"Oh yes. Everyone's here already."

"They all came in?"

"Didn't I tell you? Peyton moved back in after he and Mindy split. Hugh and Dixon are staying with us – temporarily mind you – until they find a place that'll suite them. They're moving back to Glencoe, you know."

"You'll have three out of five sons so close you can't stand it," Auggie grinned as he started inching the two women towards the house. "By the way, Mom, this is Annie."

Annie grinned again. "Annie Walker, Mrs. Anderson."

"Oh, I'm just Tammy," she murmured, smiling happily. "Auggie, hon, are you going to be okay up in your old room? There's so many stairs…"

"Mom, I'm blind, not crippled," he grumbled as they finally stepped into the house.

Annie felt like she'd stepped into an entirely different world as they crossed the threshold. Auggie and his mother continued their almost playful banter back and forth as she fussed over him and he danced around answering too seriously. The halls were empty except for them. Christopher was long gone to wherever he would disappear to and the four brothers in question were yet to be seen. What the hall did not lack was pictures. Like a shrine to her five sons, Tammy Anderson had adorned her walls with pictures from toddler to present. There was even one of Auggie in what looked like a special forces uniform for the Army. He was grinning with a desert stretching out behind him. His eyes were focused and filled with light.

"Auggie served in Iraq, I'm sure you know," Tammy murmured when she caught Annie looking. She patted the young woman on the arm, pointing to various other pictures. Tears stood in her eyes. "See there? He always has made us so proud. Top of anything he'd put his mind to."

"You never told me you were a theatre geek, Auggie," Annie grinned.

"Ah, Mom! You promised to take that one down!" he complained. "Where is it? I'll do it for you."

"You'll do no such thing!" his mother argued. She turned down another hall and called out to her husband. "Chris? Where'd you put Auggie and Annie's things? We should really get them situated before dinner!"

"Late dinner?" Auggie asked.

"Well, I knew you wouldn't have time to eat, so we waited," Tammy answered. "Christopher!"

"It's up in his room!"

"Honey!"

"If you think they're not sleeping together you're blinder than he is!"

Annie felt her breath catch and she glanced over to where Auggie was holding back a laugh, face heating red with embarrassment. "We're not sleeping together, Dad!"

"You've always been a horrible liar!" Christopher called back, never bothering to leave his hideaway. "It's all upstairs. Just make do."

"But all those stairs, dear!" Tammy called back.

"Blind, not crippled," Auggie said again as he rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Annie, we'll figure it out. This way." He groped around for a moment until she took his outreached hand and he moved her towards a set of stairs that shot steeply up. "You'll get your workout," he warned.

"I think I'll live," she answered back as they ascended.

After the first set of stairs they moved to another set that were hidden behind a door. The room at the top of the second flight was rather large and spacious, with the exception of a few boxes set over to the side. Comic books were stacked in wrappings so that dust would not harm them in the corner, along with old GI Joe figures that Annie had to laugh at. More books lined the wall from everything including art, theatre, sports, and military. Weights and sports equipment were shoved into the corner next to the bay window.

"It's the best view in the house," Auggie said proudly. "I used to always know when the 'rents were home and was usually the lookout for some sort of prank. No one could sneak up on me. It was a fortress up here."

"This is wonderful, Auggie," Annie agreed, taking everything in. She turned and smiled at him, knowing that he would sense it in his uncanny way. She poked through some old VHS tapes. "James Bond, huh?"

"I was a spy fan, what can I say?" He paused, listening to the sound of her heels click on the wooden floor. "Listen, I can make a pallet on the floor if that's okay." A sly grin crossed his face. "I promise not to look."

"Only if you promise," Annie agreed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Should we head downstairs? Your brothers are here, right?"

"Guess we can't hide up here forever."

* * *

A/N: Please feed the review addiction!

Also, special thanks to Asphalt Angel for the link to get me info on ep 1x07!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four.

* * *

The house was buzzing with life when they descended the stairs. Annie stared curiously as, when they had made it to the bottom floor, they were nearly cut off by a blur of what might have been a tall man. She couldn't be one hundred percent sure, as he flew by faster than she could see. He was yelling to an unseen person that the dog had gotten out again, and making threats if said person didn't keep the back gate locked.

"The dog's not coming back next time!" he yelled.

"Booker always comes back," a voice answered from the kitchen.

Auggie grinned at Annie's side. "Well, Peyt, how's it going?"

Peyton Anderson turned to look at his youngest brother and a smile that could only be described as mischievous crossed his broad face. "Guys, Auggie's home!" he called out and then turned back. "Took your sweet time, didn't you?"

"You know, some of us hold down full time jobs and can't pick up and leave at any given moment," Auggie responded with his grin not fading. "Peyt, this is Annie. Annie, the second oldest brother of the Anderson horde." He paused, listening carefully to his brother's reaction.

If Peyton had planned to go through any formalities of greeting Annie they were cut short. A whirlwind of commotion flew into the living room in the form of the other two middle brothers and they skipped all politeness in general. "Auggie!" they called together and Annie was sure that her friend took a physical step backward, a slightly worried grin playing across his lips.

"Guys, I swear if you-"

The two brothers – both taller than the youngest of the Andersons – picked their little brother up off the ground and discarded his walking stick so that Annie had to catch it. She watched, attempting not to laugh as they wrestled around with Auggie, the latter not really putting up a fight. She wondered, as she watched Dixon and Hugh – though she couldn't be sure which was which yet – lift the blind man and begin to tote him around and harass him as only elder brothers could, if Auggie really didn't care or if they didn't know that their younger brother could have probably put them on the ground faster than they could blink an eye. After a moment she decided on the latter. She had learned very quickly just how many precautions needed to be taken around family to keep the CIA's many secrets buried deeply where they were supposed to be. Though she thought Auggie would have adapted to his situation whether he worked for the Agency or not, she was sure that explaining his ability to take two men well over six feet, that he couldn't see, and all without breaking a sweat would be more than he was willing to risk.

"Dixon! Hewett! Put August down."

Annie turned to see a smaller man with glasses perched on his nose and a frown on his face. She placed him instantly as the eldest Anderson brother and was sure he had taken most after their father in his stern expression. He did not speak as one spoke to their siblings, but as one spoke to unruly children.

"C'mon, Brant," the blond Hugh grumbled as he dropped Auggie's flailing feet so they touched the ground. "Not like you've never given the kid a hard time."

"It's his birthday, after all," Dixon chimed in. "No one gets it easy on his birthday. That's what we're here for."

Auggie was finally set entirely straight and his laughter was subsiding. If Annie didn't know better, she would think that he had been having just as much fun – or more – than his two elder brothers. He glanced over in Brant's general direction. "Good to see you too, Brant," he greeted with a grin.

The elder man snorted. "You shouldn't let them treat you like that," the elder man said sternly.

"They're not going to break me," Auggie assured him with his usual lightheartedness. He stopped a moment, listening for some sort of audible marker as to where his brothers had dragged him and slowly, feeling ahead of himself with a toe pointed outward, he began to move back towards Annie and his stick. "By the way, everyone, Annie Walker. Annie, the rest of my rowdy family. Brant, did Jess make it?"

"She's in the kitchen helping Mom," Brant answered as he moved forward, snatching the walking stick up from Annie's hands and thrusting it into his youngest brother's hands. "They're ready for us to eat."

"Thanks," Auggie managed, but the elder man had already moved away. He offered an arm out for Annie and she took it.

"Growing up must have been a daily battle," she whispered in his ear.

"And now you know why it's so hard to phase me," Auggie answered and they moved to the kitchen.

Tammy Anderson was putting the last of the food onto the long table with the help of a woman that Annie assumed had to be Brant's wife. She thought a moment until the name 'Jess' that Auggie had called came to mind. She was pretty and pregnant. She didn't look nearly as stern as her husband and even seemed to lighten his mood when she approached him and stood on her toes to kiss him.

Christopher sat at the head of the table looking as if he'd forgotten how to smile. He wasn't particularly glaring at Annie, but the look was not a welcoming one as she took a seat next to Auggie. He took her hand beneath the table and gave it a squeeze of encouragement. Inclining his head towards his second eldest brother he said, "Just a warning, Peyt, if you hand me the pepper instead of the salt this year I've already got my revenge planned."

"You were too busy running your mouth off a couple years ago to notice," Peyton laughed.

"Alright, everyone," Tammy urged, waving her hands in a downward motion towards the seats. "Take a seat, please, and we'll say grace. You don't mind if we say grace, do you Annie?" The blonde shook her head, finding the action somewhat odd in what she'd become accustomed to within her new family at the CIA.

After it was said the family began to dig into the food as if they had not eaten at all that week. Conversation lit up most of their dispositions, and even Brant began happily explaining that he'd found his brother Hugh a job if he'd just give it his best at the interview. After a moment Brant's wife turned to Annie. "I'm sorry, you must be Annie. We didn't even know you were coming, but Tammy told me about you. How did you meet Auggie?"

"She works at the Smithsonian and I'm a regular visitor," Auggie cut in as he sniffed at the salt to double check it, having come from someone he hadn't warned.

"The Smithsonian?" Jessica smiled. Her green eyes danced with excitement. "My minor in college was in Art History," she announced. "Next time Brant and I go to Washington DC we'll have to stop off and see what all you've done for the place. Beautiful work there."

"What were _you_ doing at the Smithsonian?" Christopher popped up, never lifting his eyes from his green beans.

"Me?" Auggie asked. "Oh… I was a fan when I first moved there and just never had the heart to stop going."

"And pretty girls don't hurt," Hugh grinned.

"Never did," his youngest brother agreed.

"Don't see the point," their father continued. "Not like you can see any of the exhibits there. Sounds like a waste of time."

"We give plenty of tours," Annie cut in before she could help herself, feeling slightly irritated for her silent friend at her side. He'd stood up for her earlier, but seemed to refuse to say anything on his own account. While he might not be able to announce the extent of how far he'd come since Iraq, certainly his father didn't need to continue to make him out as a bumbling idiot. "And Auggie's memory for things is more impressive than I've ever seen."

"Well that's a new development. Guess that's why he remembers to call so much."

"Dad," Brant murmured quietly from his father's side.

"No, Brant, let your younger brother speak up for himself. You haven't lost your voice too, hmm, August?"

Auggie's mask that he'd kept so well since meeting his father at the airport began to crack as he set his fork down on the table. Hard. A frustrated sound escaped his lips and his brows furrowed as he spoke in low and purposefully controlled tones. "My job takes up a lot of my time, I've told you, and I can't make personal calls from the office. By the time I get off work and grab dinner half the time you and Mom would be in bed already."

"Well, there's always weekends, dear," Tammy said meekly from the side. She glanced apologetically towards Annie.

"Which I work. A lot. I'm sorry that I'm not Hugh and Dix that are trying to find jobs and so have more free time. Or Peyt who works half days. Or Brant with his eight to five shift."

"But you find time to get by the Smithsonian to mull around art work that you can't even enjoy."

Auggie looked like he might explode at that one, but instead swallowed his words and shook his head. He stood from the table and moved to grab his walking stick and his plate to take it to the kitchen. "Listen, Dad," he murmured, "I don't know what's had you so ruffled the last five years. It's not like the bomb went off in your face."

"You're right. My brothers and I all served, our father served, and his father before him, and we were all able to complete the service."

"Christopher!" Tammy hissed at him. "That's _enough_."

Auggie shot her a sad smile. "S'okay, Mom. Least I know why he's been so pissy for the last few years."

"Won't you finish your dinner, Auggie? I made it for you."

"I'm sorry, but I kinda lost my appetite." That said, Auggie left the room. Annie heard the shuffling of dishes as he washed them off and he moved back through the dining room and started up the stairs, mumbling a "goodnight" to everyone as he left.

She shot a worried glance after him. "I should-"

"It's all right, dear," Tammy assured her and stood with her. She motioned to the kitchen and Annie followed her, a questioning look on her face. The aging woman sighed very heavily as she took the dishes from Annie's hands and began scrubbing at them. "I'm very sorry you had to see that. Auggie and Chris haven't gotten along well since he returned to the States. Auggie was with Special Forces and couldn't always tell us where he was, so we didn't even know there'd been an incident until he got back, and then… well, Chris has never been good at handling emotional situations, you see."

"Has it been like this since he came home then?"

"Well, Auggie's always tried to live up to his father's expectations. He was very athletic in school, but preferred computers. Then he joined the Army and not the Marines like my husband and his whole family had been. The only thing that half way saved him in that is that he was placed on a Special Forces team. " She cast an uneasy glance towards Annie. "You shouldn't judge my husband too harshly, dear. He just doesn't know how to express sympathy."

"But Auggie doesn't _want_ sympathy," Annie blurted before she knew it. Auggie's mother stared at her with a questioning look and she was forced to explain. "I've never met anyone quite like Auggie. He's had so much go wrong, but he's got the sweetest spirit. He doesn't let anything get him down and he doesn't let his blindness get in his way."

Tammy smiled fondly and shook her head. "I don't understand the boy myself," she murmured. "Brant's worried about him, you know. He thinks he has never come to terms with it and that's why he makes light of it all. I hate it when he makes those awful jokes about himself."

Annie couldn't respond to that. She loved Auggie's jokes. They weren't self-deprecating, but showed just what she had told his mother. He didn't give in to circumstance. He didn't let anything overpower him and he always beat the odds. That smile was present at all the right times and from the first second that she had met him it had put her at ease. She loved Auggie for it, even if she'd never be able to admit it to him.

Tammy wiped quiet tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, honey," she whispered. "You should get up there to him." She smiled as Annie nodded, but stopped her again suddenly. "Quickly, and then I'll let you go," she promised and pulled her son's friend close so that no one might overhear. "Don't tell anyone, even Auggie, because I'm sure he wouldn't want you to know, but he'd told me he couldn't make it again this year, but then, miraculously, he called last night and said that he was catching an evening flight in after work. I'd guess that's when you agreed to come?"

Annie nodded dumbly.

"Thank you, dear," Tammy sniffed and then embraced her. Through her sniffles and tears she sent Annie up to her son and watched as the younger woman moved silently through the rooms until she turned the corner to the stairs. Perhaps, the aging woman thought, things might eventually get better with Annie Walker in her son's life.

* * *

Auggie was sitting on the windowsill when Annie entered, his eyes directed as if he were watching the leaves move on the tree outside. He didn't make notice of her entrance as she flipped on the overhead light and walked quietly over to him, her heels making a very subtle sound against the wooden floor.

"Hey," she murmured when she reached him.

Auggie looked started and turned towards her. "Hey," he answered. "Sorry, was kinda lost in thought."

"Do you need me to leave you to it?"

He seemed to think about the proposal for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I think I'd rather have you here. I don't think I'll be very good company though, as a warning."

"It's all right," Annie murmured and she took a seat next to him. He looked tired and worn as he sat silently, leaning against the bay window. On impulse she reached out and took his hand, clutching it tightly in her own. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

Auggie looked slightly surprised by his hand suddenly being held by hers, but gripped onto it nevertheless. He closed his eyes and looked as if he might even be fighting tears. "I should have never brought you here… I should have known that a two year build up of this crap would have sent him into the worst of moods." He paused and his grip tightened. "I don't guess I really know why he's the way he is… just that I've never been good enough. I guess when I lost my sight I lost all chance I had at someday _becoming_ good enough for him. I'm the embarrassment of the family now and he reminds me of it every time that we speak."

"But it wasn't your fault," Annie murmured.

Auggie's eyes opened and he blinked against the tears that were now spilling over and down his face. "Sorry," he managed, feeling embarrassed by his own lack of restraint. He brought her hand up to his lips and planted a quick kiss on her knuckles. "You really are the best friend I've ever had, do you know that?"

Annie felt her heart skip a beat. Through all of her study of language and culture throughout her life she had learned to decipher the quirks of not just a languages phrasing, but individuals. There was more to his words than their shelling and she felt her lips perk upward. "I do now," she answered quietly and received a smile from him. A happy, warm feeling settle into her chest as they sat in that bay window late into the night, holding tightly to one another's hands and speaking of Auggie's childhood and his father and his brothers. There were tears and smiles mixed all together, but in the end there was Auggie. Her Auggie, strong and resilient against anything the world could throw at him.

* * *

A/N: So, maybe I should have warned, I'm a huge Auggie/Annie fan. I actually changed the hurt/comfort category on this to 'Romance' b/c there is obviously a budding romance between these two. Hope ya'll are still enjoying to story! I'll try to get another chapter up before I go to bed tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five.

* * *

Color faded into nothingness as Auggie slowly woke. He wished desperately to cling to the wonderful dream that he had been having, full of life and light and Annie, but something had woken him from that dream. He shifted slightly to realize that he had fallen asleep leaning against the window in the bay window of his old room in Glencoe. His neck and back ached at the awkward angle, but as he shifted he realized someone was leaned up against him. A soft moan met his ears and the distinct scent of Joe Malone's Grapefruit making its way to his nose. Was Annie Walker asleep in his arms?

She shifted against him and he heard yawn. "Mornin' Auggie," she murmured, turning and burring her face in his shirt. She inhaled his scent. For all his teasing over her perfume, she enjoyed the smell of his cologne just as much.

"Good morning, Annie," he answered slowly, trying to pull together what was dream and what had happened the night before. Sadly, all he had to do was remember what was visible and what wasn't.

"Guess I fell asleep on you." He could almost hear her blush. She shifted so that she was no longer right up against him. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Auggie assured her, reaching up to run his hands along his face. It was stiff feeling under his fingers and he remembered the rather emotion walk down memory lane that they had ventured into the night before. Not once had she judged him, but sat and listened as he tried to explain some of the inner workings of the Anderson family and how they treated each other. He also remembered kissing her hand. He knew that had happened. He moved so that his legs dropped to the floor with a **_thunk_**, dead asleep from the weight on them all night, and he followed quickly behind them as he was thrown entirely off balance.

"Auggie!" Annie managed, her voice slightly higher pitched than usual as she knelt next to him. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah," he answered. "Doing great. Spent the whole night literally crying to my best friend and then my legs fell asleep so that I can't even stand up, and now I'm sitting on the floor. I think I've officially hit my embarrassment quota for the year, thank you."

Annie stifled a laugh as she wrapped her arms around him, helping him stand and sit back on the window bench. Pins and needles ran up and down his legs, but it was well worth it to have Annie's arms around his shoulders. "I won't tell," she whispered into his ear. "And by the way, happy birthday."

"I guess it's the first, huh?"

"It is the first."

"Wait. How did you know exactly when my birthday was?" he asked, turning in her direction. The edges of his lips perked up in a questioning smile.

"Well… made sense…. Auggie, August, the first of August…."

"So you didn't read my file?"

"Maybe that too."

Auggie laughed and leaned into her embrace. "I'm glad you're here this weekend."

"Me too." She paused and leaned back when he sat back and gave her a funny look. "No, really," she promised. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Annie, after sitting through that last night and not complaining, you can ask me anything you want."

"Well…" She faded off, wrinkling her nose and trying to decide if she really wanted to ask the question or not. When he reached forward and took her hand encouragingly she smiled. "You called me your best friend."

"Right."

"Is that…" Her breath caught and felt strangely like those sightless eyes of his were staring straight through her to her soul. He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Is that all we are?"

Auggie's eyes widened a bit at this, but he didn't release her hands. Instead, he hung onto them like his life depended on it. She was glad that he couldn't see the red glow that she was sure was overtaking her face.

"Auggie? Annie? Breakfast!" Tammy Anderson's voice came along with a knock on the door. "Whenever you two are ready, dears."

"We'll be down in a second, Mom," Auggie called back, leaning his head back against the window. Of all of the damnable times….

"It's alright," Annie assured him, standing up and moving to her tote bag that she had brought. "You don't have to answer it."

Auggie sat very still as he listened to her shuffle through her bag and pull the day's clothes from it. "Umm, do you mind if I borrow your bathroom to change?" she asked, motioning needlessly to the small bathroom that was off to the side of the attic room.

"That's fine," he murmured, frowning sadly as she shuffled to the restroom and closed the door behind. He was left alone in the room, feeling very foolish and very much as if he'd turned her down without a word. As if his silence had ruined any hope for anything with her. All because he couldn't bring himself out of his own shock to answer before his mother had once again proven herself to be the queen of bad timing. "Real great, Aug," he grumbled to himself as he stood, the tingling feeling finally gone, and groped around the same general area that she had been for his bag. He found it after a moment and pulled it from its lodging. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," he continued to berate himself as he found the shirt's button to be attached to something else. He couldn't place what else would be in there that would tangle it all together so badly and finally just gave it a sharp tug. It came free and the bag fell to the ground about as hard as he had earlier. He felt some minor triumph.

Stressed before the day had begun he finally realized that his usually perfectly packed bag had been destroyed by his headset's cord and he found an MP3 player at the bottom. He tossed the shirt to the bed momentarily and felt the buttons until he found the 'play' he set it on a shelf and allowed the slow, sweet music of Charles Mingus to flow through the room. He tugged his shirt off that he'd worn since the shower that had followed work the day before and groped around for a moment until his fingers clasped hold of the discarded fresh shirt. The bathroom door opened and he looked up, the old habit never really dying.

"Mingus," Annie said and Auggie could tell she was smiling. She crossed the room, bare feet padding on the wooden floor very softly and stopped in front of her friend. Her eyes watched him carefully as he slipped the polo shirt over his head. "Was that a tattoo on your back?"

"What?"

"Between your shoulders."

"Oh, yeah."

She paused, cocking her head to the side. "It's Army." She waited, but when she received no answer she moved closer to him and around behind him. "May I?" When he shrugged she lifted up the back of his shirt to inspect that tattoo she'd seen around bases growing up. It fit with the uniform in the picture downstairs. "You were in deep, weren't you? In Iraq."

"Yes," he answered quietly, not trusting his own voice as her cool fingers moved along the bare skin.

Annie let out a half snort, half sigh as she pulled his shirt back down and circled around to the front, resolved not to dig any deeper than he was willing to go on the subject. "You up for breakfast?"

"Yeah," he answered shortly, moving to grab his walking stick from where it was leaned next to the window.

"Listen, Auggie, what I said earlier, you can forget it if you want. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to stress you out any more than you already are. You really are my best friend too."

He opened his mouth to answer, but the bedroom door burst open. Both CIA agents jumped and Annie instantly lay a hand on Auggie's shoulder.

Peyton laughed at the sight of their faces. "Sorry, guys, hope I wasn't interrupting or anything."

"You do have Mom's timing," Auggie grumbled, adrenaline depleting as fast as it had rushed him.

"Speaking of, she's fussing that your eggs are going to be cold by the time you get down there if you don't come now. Hurry up. C'mon, step to."

If Annie didn't know better she'd have thought Auggie looked overly discouraged by the event, but she took hold of his arm anyway and they walked side by side down the stairs. Peyt was chattering away behind them, going on and on about the party that was being thrown that evening. Everyone from the neighborhood would be there, of course, and did Auggie know that Old Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein had died? Murdered, actually, in a break in. Of course, Auggie would have known this if he'd come the year before because it'd been that long, Peyt informed him.

"Are you talking about the old Goldstein place?" Dixon asked with his mouth half full of toast as they entered.

"Yeah, Auggie, did you hear they were _murdered_?" Hugh asked. He turned his eyes on Annie. "Most exciting thing that's ever happened in this neighborhood. Someone broke in and shot them dead. Must have been a robbery or something, they were old and rich. Their kids sold the place to a guy not much older than Brant. Foreign, I think."

"He's from a little bit of everywhere, dear," Tammy said as she set two new plates down at the table. "How did you two sleep?"

"Very well, thanks," Annie answered with a smile. "Will he be coming tonight?"

"Oh yes!" Tammy assured her. "And don't worry, he speaks English very well. You can only barely hear an accent."

"Annie likes to be able to use her language skills," Auggie said as he dug into breakfast, not realizing just how hungry he was.

"Oh, what did you study in school, dear?"

"Well, Russian, mostly, but I traveled a bit after school and so I picked up a few more."

"A few?" Dixon asked, eyes wide.

Annie shrugged. "They come easy to me."

"Well, I'm sure you and Mr. What's-his-name will get along well," Tammy said easily.

Auggie grimaced. "Do we really have to do the whole party thing, Mom? You know I'm not a big fan of crowds."

"Yet you can go to a bar or a concert with no problem at all. These are people that watched you grow up, Auggie. They want to see you. You are the only son to have moved out of state. Well all miss you."

"That and it means free drinks for the rest of us," Hugh murmured and was promptly swatted on the shoulder by his mother.

Annie smiled, watching the early Saturday morning banter. "So where are everyone else this morning?"

"Oh, Christopher is in his study. He won't be out till I force him to mingle this evening, and Brant and Jessica went to the store." She leaned over to Auggie and spoke in hushed tones, as if she were telling a secret. "Not that I sent them after a cake or anything."

"Mom!" Auggie complained loudly, looking entirely frustrated.

"Oh, don't worry! It'll be fun. Annie, I really ought to show you some more of those pictures of Auggie from when he was little. I have this one from when he was in elementary school and he'd picked up this book… The Tears of Autumn. He wanted to be a spy for Halloween, so we dressed him up as a little CIA agent and everything. It was the cutest."

Annie laughed out loud at this and Auggie turned several shades of red. "Really, Mom, this is why I never bring girls home. Right there. That's it, and I can't see to take the pictures down myself!"

"Even if you found them they'd go right back up when you left, honey."

"Not if I got rid of them," Auggie replied with a mischievous grin.

Annie was still giggling. "Please, Tammy, I'd love to see a baby-CIA Auggie."

"I was ten," he grumbled irritably as he heard the two women move from the table to the main hallway. He was left with two of his brothers as women's laughter echoed through the house and he could hear his mother telling story after story. He shook his head and resigned himself to the humiliation. He should have known that that's what mothers do when their youngest son brings home the woman of his dreams.

* * *

A/N: Much thanks once again to Asphalt Angel for the 1X07 episode clip and also for the explanation of the tat. I'd never have known it without her. I'm having so much fun writing this. Being that it's so early in the evening, there is a small chance that I might even write another chapter tonight. The next chapter is where the action really picks up, so I'm excited! The party and also we might even meet our villain... I don't know for sure yet. Also, I've been listening to Mingus throughout this chapter, so I just had to add that little part in there. I'd never heard him before seeing this show, but he's very talented.

Anyway, thanks so much for all of the lovely comments and the favs and such. To those that don't comment, I'd really love to hear from you! I always like to know if I can make my work better or if I'm doing well etc etc...

One last note: I was actually planning to add another scene in here that I cut when it was still in my head. I may end up doing a one shot with the scene, separate so that it doesn't strike a nerve with anyone who would rather not read it. It's a rather testy subject, but I thought it would be an interesting interaction between Auggie and his sister-in-law. The basic premiss of it was that she was going to take Auggie aside and ask for his advice, because she and Brant have just received news that their child that she is carrying will probably have multiple health problems, including a high potential of blindness, and they are weighing to options of abortion. It's a reeeaaaly testy subject for a lot of people (me included) so I think it's probably best to do it as a one shot so that you don't feel as if you have to read it for the story. Any opinions on that?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, after weighing reviews and thinking about it to myself, I've decided not to do the one shot, but just put it in as previously planned. I really don't think I'll offend anyone, and it's not my intention to do so, but the warning was given in the last chapter if you wish to go check it out (if missed). I just felt like there needed to be something that brings Jessica and Auggie to a sort of understanding between them. I don't know why. When I first started this she was supposed to be an aloof and kind of prissy character, but then she turned out to be rather nice, so I had to make amends through something. I think this might do it. Hopefully. =)

Chapter Six.

* * *

After breakfast with most of the brothers and a sporting game of "Embarrass Auggie," the day had, thankfully, been mostly uneventful. Christopher Anderson had stayed in his study just as his wife had predicted, and Auggie and Annie were, for the most part, left to their own affairs until they were expected for the mandatory birthday bash that would begin sharply at six o'clock. Auggie's watch had chimed noon half an hour before when he perked up from his steady reading of a file he'd brought with him. Annie had teased when he'd taken it out of his bag that he as on a mini-vacation and he'd told her that work was a mini-vacation from that house.

Annie glanced over as Auggie laid the file written in Braille down on his bed and stepped over to the window, listening intently. "Who just came in?" he murmured.

"Looks like Jessica and Brant," Annie responded as she moved to his side. She glanced up at him, the awkwardness from the earlier question having finally washed aside, even if it were still left unanswered. "With groceries, looks like." She paused, grinning. "And a cake."

Auggie groaned dramatically and moved to return to his work. He'd just picked it back up when the sound of the door at the bottom of the stairs could be heard echoing up the hallway and flat shoes clicking on the wooden steps.

Jessica's tentative knock received a welcoming request to enter and the young wife of Auggie's eldest brother stuck her head in. "Am I interrupting?"

Auggie shrugged. "I don't think too much."

Her voice was hesitant, which was not too much of a surprise as the young agent was fairly sure that she'd never forgiven him for not coming to the wedding. It was silly, really, as he'd been deployed to Iraq the day before the wedding, but she'd been livid. All conversation had been dropped about that when he returned without the use of his eyes and she seemed almost to respond in a guilty manner. "Do you mind, then, if I ask you for your advice on something?"

"Mine?" Auggie asked, cocking his head to one side. He laid his paperwork to one side once again and stood from the spot that he'd sat himself down at, and moved toward his sister-in-law. He murmured a quick "be right back" to Annie and they stepped out to the stairwell that led downward from the attic-room and stopped. He heard her close the door behind them and he leaned up against the long wall. "What's going on?"

"Listen, Brant doesn't want me asking you this. He thinks you might take it wrong…."

Auggie shrugged. "It's fine. I'm pretty thick skinned."

Jessica nodded and sighed deeply, remembering that he could not see her nod. "See, the thing is, we just got some bad news… about the baby."

Auggie nodded, waiting for her to continue. He knew that she was pregnant. Probably five to six months, but he didn't know her well enough to gage it by how much heavier her footsteps had become.

Jessica was sniffling now, as if tears might start streaming at any moment. "The doctors are telling us that our baby's not healthy, and that he's going to… have a lot of trouble."

This was going to get awkward fast, Auggie knew. He was really not close enough to his sister-in-law to be having this conversation. "I'm… sorry?" he offered.

"Well," she managed, "you know how Christopher reacts to health problems. We haven't told him or Tammy yet, because we're afraid… we're afraid of how your and Brant's dad will see our son." She paused again and Auggie was sure she was shaking by this point. "The reason I'm coming to you is… we were told that there is a 95% chance that our child will be born blind. Those are awful bad odds for him. I just don't know what to do, and… I'm not sure I want to bring a child into the world who might be hated by the people he's around."

Auggie shifted his weight, listening to the woman in front of him. "So what are you asking me, Jessica?" he asked quietly.

Tears were running freely now and she cupped her hands over her mouth, making it difficult for him to understand her. "I need to know," she finally gasped out between sobs, "if it'll be worth it for our little boy. Would I be… doing him a favor by just letting him go?"

The blind agent felt his breath catch in his throat and he was unable to respond. The only sound that filled the long stairwell was the sound of Jessica's muffled sobs. Finally Auggie reached an awkward hand out to her, taking hold of her hers. "Listen, I lost a lot in Iraq. Everyone knows that. You can't go from seeing everything one day to seeing nothing the next with an explosion in the middle and it not mess with you a little." He took a breath to steady himself. It was rare he spoke like this to anyone inside of his family. "But it's a life, and certainly not a life that I hate. You make due with what you can and remember that there is always, _always_ someone out there that has it worse than you do."

"But we're so scared."

"Chris Anderson will always be the way he is," Auggie murmured seriously. "He'd find something wrong with the child, eventually, this just means that he'll focus on this. The fact that he'll be Brant's son instead of any of the others will give him a better chance at finding one of Dad's soft points."

"I had a miscarriage before I got pregnant with him," Jessica sniffled.

"I remember Mom talking about it," Auggie responded. He ran his hands over his face, feeling a bit overwhelmed with a very unexpected question. "In the end, it's a decision that you and Brant have to make, but if you want my opinion: life is life. I mean, if someone had come to me the day before the bomb went off and said 'this is going to happen, would you rather live the rest of your life blind with all the problems that come with it, or you can die from it and possibly be remembered by your father as the hero of your family for dying in the service of your country. Pick one,' then I'd say that they could take my eyes. I'd never have experienced any of what I've experienced in the past five years otherwise, or what I'll experience until I die. Same with your son."

Jessica smiled. "Thank you, August," she said as she pecked him on the cheek. "Brant and I were just scared is all."

"But?"

"I suppose even if he has a grandfather that's a little hard to please, at least he'll have two loving parents and plenty of uncles to let him know he's loved," Jessica said decisively. "Thank you."

Auggie listened to the sound of her footsteps echoing down the stairwell and he leaned heavily against the wall until the door at the bottom opened and closed again. After a moment he moved back to his room. He heard Annie shift on the bed and felt her eyes trained on him. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he answered lowly, moving to join her. He reached out for his paperwork and skimmed for where he'd left off. "Just… a little overwhelmed by that."

"What'd she need?"

"To ask if she had a choice to have a child that was blind or not have the child, what should she do."

"Deep," Annie breathed.

"Yeah. You're telling me." After a few moments of silence they turned back to their work, but somehow Auggie felt as if he'd settled something between his sister-in-law and himself that day.

* * *

That evening was a bit more hectic. Auggie resigned himself, after Annie overtook his room to get ready, to sit in the living room with his headset resting over his ears with Charles Mingus keeping him company. He was leaned back, relaxing for the first time since he'd stepped foot outside of the airplane and met his father at the airport. Completely absorbed in the trumpets and drums, he was caught off guard when the headset was suddenly ripped from their place.

"If the only thing keeping you from dating that lady you brought with you is that you don't know if she's pretty or not, take advice from your big brother: she's a knock out," Peyton's voice replaced Mingus.

Auggie sighed, grasping out for his stolen headsets. "Give those back. They're expensive."

"I bet, look at these things!" his brother murmured, doing just that.

"You know, I would, but there's a bit of a problem in that," Auggie joked lightly and they both gave a short snort of laughter as Peyt handed the stolen set back. "And yes, I know she's beautiful."

"Then what the hell is keeping you? She's obviously interested."

"Patience, Peyt," Auggie warned. "That's always been your problem."

Peyton might have said more had he not heard the sound of heels clicking on wooden steps. He perked up and watched as Annie and Jessica walked down together, looking perfectly happy in their conversation of old, beautiful artwork.

"Shut your mouth. Drooling is disgusting," Auggie grumbled.

"I am not."

"Are too. I can hear it hitting the floor."

Peyton looked indignant. "No you can't!"

Auggie only smiled knowingly at him and stood. "I'd say it must be around six if you're both ready."

There was a sharp intake of breath and then Annie took Auggie's offered arm. "You look nice," she managed, eyes roaming up and down the slacks and vest. He looked more than nice, but there was no reason to push her luck on this trip.

"I have it on authority that you do as well," Auggie grinned as they began walking. "Would you mind being my eyes for the night?"

"Is that just an excuse to keep me right next to you?" Annie teased without thinking it through. She blushed suddenly, feeling that maybe she should have left that one out.

Auggie grinned widely. "Absolutely."

If Annie had thought that the house was large then she'd been surprised when she'd seen the spacious back yard with various sports equipment pushed to the sides. Even in all the places that she had lived, she'd never seen anything quite like this place and she momentarily wondered just what Christopher Anderson had done for a living before his retirement that allowed him to hold up in his study all day and sulk.

"Let me guess," Auggie whispered into her ear. "Quite a few people that look like they would have been old twenty years ago, a few girls for my brothers, Brant helping Mom, and Dad already in the middle of the drinks?"

"And the cake," Annie reminded him playfully.

"Of course."

"August Anderson!"

Annie and Auggie both turned and she saw an aging gentleman – much like Auggie had described – approaching them. She had to keep from laughing at the bow tie.

Auggie reached a hand out to grasp the man's. "Mr. Elkin?" he asked somewhat tentatively.

"Always did have ears for a voice, didn't you, Auggie?" the man grinned and shook Auggie's hand enthusiastically. "Great to see you, son. It's been years. Your mother is always complaining that you never get home. DC that great of a place to live?"

"It has its perks. I love my job." He paused, reaching back for Annie. "Mr. Elkin, this is Annie Walker. Annie, Mr. Elkin taught me in high school."

"Trouble maker, he was," Elkin murmured with a nostalgic sort of smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Walker. Are you in the same business as Auggie?"

"I work at the Smithsonian in DC," she offered and shook his hand.

He gave her an odd smile and his aged eyes twinkled with mirth. "Very exciting job, I'm sure. I've worked there a time or two over the years."

"You lived in DC before moving here, didn't you?" Auggie asked.

"I did, before meeting Mrs. Elkin abroad. Love should always mean more than the job, wouldn't you say, Miss Walker? Anyway, we moved here to Glencoe, looking for someplace quiet."

"Not so quiet anymore," Auggie said as he reached for a drink. He took a careful sniff of it to double check.

"Yes, the poor Goldsteins," Elkin lamented sadly. He sipped at his own drink. "Good people. Honest people. It's such a shame to see them go."

"Were they really murdered or were Peyt and them just blowing steam?" Auggie asked skeptically.

"Found with a bullet in either head," Elkin said calmly. He frowned into his glass, his mind seeming to wander. "You know we lost Mrs. Elkin about six months ago, didn't you?"

"I hadn't heard," Auggie answered.

The conversation continued in much the same way and eventually Annie's eyes wandered to the crowd. Auggie had been spot on when he described the sort of party that his mother would have thrown him. From the looks of it his father was well on his way down the row of drinks and becoming louder as the evening went on. Once one conversation ended they were immediately pulled into another then another. Annie thought they'd never get a moment to breathe.

Finally they stepped back from the crowd and Auggie let out a breath in the form of a sigh. "Sorry."

Annie grinned at him. "It's fine. Looks like you're popular around here."

"I guess. I'm more of a novelty, I think. Most of these people were teachers in our school and worked all around town before they retired. Now I guess they enjoy looking to what the kids they had influence over are doing with their lives." He paused, inclining his head as if listening for something in particular. "Is old Mr. Elkins near by?"

"No, he's chatting it up with your dad."

A grin spread across Auggie's face. "I have no proof of what I'm about to tell you," he said conspiratorially, "but when I was in high school I was convinced that he was a retired spy."

"You really had a thing for spies when you were little, didn't you?" Annie laughed.

"Still do," Auggie said with his lopsided grin. "No, really. It doesn't help with the way he's talked to me since I moved to DC. I was recruited out of college without showing any active interest in it, and he knew about it before anyone else."

"Seriously?"

The techy nodded, still grinning. "Very."

"Are you spreading stories about me again, Mr. Anderson?" the playful voice of Elkins made both agents jump.

"And the fact that he could always sneak up on me," Auggie ended, knowing that he had only just approached them. From behind Annie, that sly old man.

"This boy always had the wildest imagination," Elkin laughed and patted Auggie on the shoulder.

Annie laughed at her friend's face as he rolled his eyes and swatted jokingly at the elder man. She was cut off from responding as the sound of someone approaching – not quite as quietly as Elkin always seemed to manage – and Auggie perked.

"Mr. Elkin," a strange voice drawled out, "is this the man of the hour? Might you introduce us?"

Elkin frowned, catching Annie's attention and she turned to look at the man that approached. He was foreign and could only be the new neighbor that had been spoken about so readily. His accent was a mix of many as if he had been many places over his relatively short life. He couldn't be much older than forty, if that old.

"Alexei Kogan, this is August Anderson and Annie Walker, wasn't it, Miss?"

Auggie reached a hand out, his brows furrowed as he if he were stretching to place the voice. "Auggie," he introduced himself.

"Alex," the new neighbor answered in response. "I hear you are a traveled man."

A polite smile crossed Auggie's face. "If you consider being sent to Iraq with the US Army traveled, then, yes, I guess I am traveled."

"Funny, I would have placed you as one that has been everywhere, much like Mr. Elkin," Alex Kogan answered.

"Where's your accent from, Mr. Kogan?" Annie asked quietly.

"Originally, Russia, but I have been many places. Have you?"

"Only for work," Annie responded. "I work for the Smithsonian and sometimes they send me out for various articles that we hope to attain."

Kogan nodded and smiled charmingly at her. "I just wanted to give you my best, Auggie. Thirty, yes?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Kogan shifted and excused himself after a few more moments. Elkin looked ready to say something, but instead only stooped close to Auggie's ear and whispered something and then left. Auggie stood still until Annie's hand touched his arm. "What was that all about?" she whispered.

"I don't know," Auggie acknowledge, a thoughtful look on his face. "I could have sworn that I've heard that voice before, but I can't place it."

Annie frowned, looping their arms together. "What did Mr. Elkin say?"

"He said to be careful," he murmured and began walking. They rejoined the party for the rest of the evening.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I really don't have time to go through and double check my writing before I go get some things done today, but I wanted to post it early(ish)! Hope you enjoy it. If there are grammatical errors, I am relying on ya'll to let me know and I'll fix them. I've got to go to the dentist today, which is probably one of my greatest fears. Sad, huh? Getting my teeth cleaned literally sends me into full blown panic attacks. They have to sedate me just to do that. It's so sad. So anyway, you can review and that will make the day better! lol! Hopefully I can get another chapter up tonight.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven.

A/N: I survived the dentist visit, must have sooooo much done. Totally not looking forward to that.

* * *

Annie would have to admit that she had had a much better time with Auggie that weekend at his family's house with all of his aging neighbors, crazy brothers and over-protective mother than she would have had doing... most anything else. Even his father was not as bad as long as he sulked elsewhere. By the end of the evening Auggie seemed have lightened up, his smile a constant reminder of why she'd come to care for him so deeply. He was laughing as she returned with a refill of both of their drinks and she touched his arm lightly.

Auggie took the beer from her and introduced her to an older woman who apparently had taught all five Anderson boys how to play the recorder in elementary school. Annie had to choke back laughter at the mental image of a young Auggie trying to make the instrument work to the teacher's wishes.

"Oh he was horrible, dear," she murmured to Annie with a sweet smile. She turned to Auggie and gently placed a hand on his opposite shoulder that Annie didn't have a grip on. "I really should be going. Alvin and I are two of the last to leave, as always, but you really seem to be doing well for yourself. Take care of him, dear," she called back to Annie before leaving with what was probably her husband.

Auggie chuckled and he leaned back for a moment, listening. "Anyone coming in at us?"

Annie glanced around. "Nope. Looks like their wrapping things up here."

"David Elkin still on the phone in the corner?"

"Yes. Whoever he's talking to he's got a real lively conversation with. He keeps glancing over here."

Auggie nodded his understanding and sighed. He was exhausted and was nervous about the next few minutes. One thing he'd learned since losing his sight, though, was that a step of faith always had to be the first one. He let his breath out in the form of a sigh. "Annie, what we were talking about earlier," he murmured lowly. "Up in the attic."

She stiffened and he could feel her eyes boring into him. "If you don't have to talk about it if you don't-"

"I do," he managed, gripping her hands tightly. Why was this so difficult? He'd known for a while now that his feelings would eventually become known. He could only find so many excuses to explain his walking away from pretty, flirtatious women just to spend time with her. "I-"

His words were cut off as a loud explosion rocked the back yard and shook the ground beneath them. Screams echoed and the force of the blast sent Auggie and Annie tumbling to the ground. The air suddenly became warmer all around them.

"What the hell?" Auggie demanded lowly, feeling every bit of his training jump to life and his senses were on fire.

Annie looked up from where she'd fallen, half tangled with Auggie. A small storage shed several yards away was being eaten away by the flames that now consumed it. In rushed tones, Annie described the scene to Auggie down to the details.

"Damn rockets went off," Hugh's voice drifted over to them. He came to stand next to his youngest brother and Annie. "I had those stowed away in there for a good time later."

"Of all the stupid…" Auggie growled, whirling around on his brother. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Nah, but Dad's going to kill me over the shed."

Auggie shook his head and briefly wondered how anyone could have been so blatantly stupid.

"Rockets?"

"Fireworks," Annie explained to Alexei Kogan and the tall man nodded his understanding.

"The heat would have set them off," he said quietly. "Auggie, might I have a word?"

Auggie looked somewhat distracted by the strange explosion. He was never one to believe in strange coincidences, and even though the rockets were a perfect explanation for the fact that the shed was now in flames, something deep within his gut told him there was more to the situation. "Annie, could you go see if Mom will settle down for you? I can hear her from over here."

"Sure," Annie answered slowly and watched Auggie move away with the strange Russian. He wasn't the only one worried by the strange happening, but she moved her eyes back to her goal. Tammy Anderson looked near hyperventilating as she was screaming at her son. Hugh, as thoughtless as he was, stood no chance against his mother's wrath.

"Miss Walker!"

Annie turned to see Elkin moving quickly toward her. His eyes were wide and filled with worry. "It's okay, Mr. Elkin, it was just some fireworks. I think we need to worry more about Tammy killing Hugh than anything else," Annie laughed.

"No, where's Kogan?" the retired teacher demanded.

"Alex?"

"Yes!"

"I have no idea. He and Auggie were there just a minute ago…" She paused, eyeing him carefully. "Mr. Elkin, what's going on?"

"Christopher threw those fireworks out a few days ago when he found them. There were no fireworks in that shed, Miss Walker."

"He could have gotten more, Mr. Elkin. Don't you think that's a bit paranoid?"

"Is it paranoid to tell you that Langley just IDed Mr. Kogan as someone other than Mr. Kogan?"

Annie felt her world stop. "_Langley_?"

* * *

Auggie was becoming distinctly more and more uncomfortable with the situation as Alex Kogan led him into his own home and through the winding halls as if he had been a regular guest there many times. Strange, the agent thought, as his mother could not even come up with Kogan's name that morning. "What's this all about?" he asked finally.

"Do you recognize me?" Kogan asked and stopped, whirling on Auggie.

"Bit difficult to say. I used to have such a memory for faces, but ya know, I guess you just lose that with age."

Kogan snorted and placed one hand firmly on Auggie's shoulder, pushing him up against the wall. The house was dead silent except for their breathing and Kogan's low, strange voice. "Still that wit," he murmured lowly, his lips close to Auggie's ear. "My superiors had told me that we should have brought you in, but I told them – I _warned_ them – that it would do no good. You are very good at what you do, aren't you, Anderson?"

Auggie's eyes were wide and every muscle tensed. He weighed options back and forth. While Kogan had a grip on him, it certainly wasn't one that he couldn't break, but then what? A scuffle? He might get the upper hand, if he were lucky, but he needed a person to be his set of eyes for something like that. Teaching Annie in the gym was one thing, but wrestling around with a possibly armed man that he had no clue of the capabilities of inside of his family's home with unarmed, untrained guests in the back yard that were certain to come in did not seem like the best option. As little as he was willing to admit it, the Agency had benched him for a reason: not being able to see your opponent made it very hard to beat him. "Who are you?" he finally managed.

"I warned them," Kogan continued lowly where he'd left off in his strange story, "and I thought you were dead. You should have been dead. Not many men walk away from an explosion like that alive. Imagine my surprise when I came to realize that CIA Agent August Anderson was still alive, only blinded by my trap laid so well."

Auggie paled considerably, standing very still. Alex was right, but Kogan was wrong, he knew. "Alexei Levkov," he whispered, stunned.

"Good," Kogan – no, not Kogan, but Levkov – breathed into his ear. "So glad that I made a lasting impression on you."

Of course he made a lasting impression, Auggie thought somewhat bitterly. His bomb that was supposed to have killed him had permanently blinded him. Levkov had been the main arms dealer moving weapons out of Russia to Iran and Iraq when Auggie had been based over there. He had been his main target, but he'd been made. He'd been made and he'd never even known it. After the mission went awry – the Agency never catching wind that the bomb had been _meant_ for their agent – Levkov had simply disappeared. Not a word had been heard from him in five years. Yes, he'd made a lasting impression.

"What the hell is going on around here?" the slightly intoxicated voice of Christopher Anderson drifted into his son's ears.

Auggie heard the sharp exhale of breath from the Russian arms dealer and felt him shift as if he were going for a weapon. "Dad, get out of here!" Auggie called out, lashing out and catching his unsuspecting opponent in the gut. Blind tech agent versus armed Russian killer? Definitely not the best option, but as Auggie saw it, he'd run out of options the moment his father had walked through the door.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I actually did start writing this for ya'll last night, but I just got so tired that it wasn't making much sense. I'm actually glad that I waited until this morning to finish afterall, because I think it turned out better this way. I really did try though! Promise!

Oh, also, for Sariasprincy (b/c I would have sent it over PM but it's disabled) and anyone else that would like to see a preview of the Auggie ep for next week, this is the clip that Asphalt Angel sent me: http : / ausiellofiles. ew. com/2010/08/12/video-covert-affairs-chris-gorham-sex/ Remember to take away the spaces. is such a pain with that.

Chapter Eight.

* * *

Auggie heard Levkov stumble and he felt his large hand leave his shoulder. With all the training he'd learned after the Farm he dropped, hoping that his keen senses wouldn't let him down. He'd not found himself in a situation since the explosion that he had to fight for his life, and he was only hoping that the different people that he'd sparred with on the mats in the gym weren't going easy on him. It might cost him his life now.

_ Focus._

When his hand touched the floor he swung his leg out, catching the Russian by the ankles. He'd turned away from him. Big mistake. "I'm right here, Levkov. Not over there," he taunted as he heard his opponent fall flat on the floor.

"Bastard!" Levkov growled, obviously irritated that he'd been flattened by the man he'd pegged as an easy kill.

"Every step of the way you underestimated me," Auggie said, listening closely.

_ Shuffling of a man getting to his knees. _

_ The sound of something hard being pushed against the floor. Perhaps a gun as he stands?_

"Auggie!" his father yelled and Auggie reacted instantly, pitching to one side and rolling. He hadn't spent much of his time since he'd arrived back home in the living room, and now he hoped that his mother's habits in arranging the furniture had not changed drastically. He pulled himself behind a couch as bullets dug into the wooden floor where he'd been. He leaned his head against it, listening very carefully.

His father's footsteps were heavier than Levkov's and he knew that the sound of the man moving toward him was not his father. He turned and kicked hard at the couch, sending it sliding across the smooth wood and he heard a sound of air leaving the arms dealer's lungs as he was caught by it.

The gun went off again and Auggie could hear his father yelling behind Levkov. He wanted to shout at him to shut up. He couldn't focus with the extra noise. He couldn't listen to what he needed to listen to. He couldn't –

Auggie felt himself falling backwards. No, it was more like he'd been thrown backwards. The searing pain that followed let him know that one of the bullets had hit. He stumbled and landed hard on the ground.

_ Focus. This isn't over._

He rolled on instinct as more followed.

The tech agent landed on his feet, moving quicker than his opponent had expected him to. He made a frustrated sound and pulled the trigger again. Auggie smiled to himself when he heard the sound of an empty chamber. This might turn into something that resembled a fair fight after all.

Levkov did as he hoped and expected and tried to tackle him next. He made contact, but Auggie was ready and firmly planted.

_"Fights are frantic, and ugly, and they are won at very close range."_

His own words echoed in his head as Levkov came in swinging. He'd enraged the man, which was a good start. The arms dealer had not expected much of a fight from a blind, benched agent. His anger was making him sloppy and Auggie landed a good blow to his jaw that sent him staggering backwards.

Silence followed. Auggie strained his ears to listen beyond his own ragged breaths as he prepared himself for anything. After what seemed like a short eternity he finally was able to focus in on Levkov's breathing. Slowly but surely the Russian was moving away from him.

Auggie's brain moved into overdrive. The little bastard was going to get away. Or possibly worse, if he didn't do something quickly and somehow get ahold of Joan to get it all squared away, either the cops or the Feds would get him. After all that time and all the damage he'd caused, Auggie was ready to settle that personal debt.

For five years he had lived in darkness. For the first couple of months he had been angry, had blamed anyone that he possibly could for his injuries – he still held a grudge or two on that, but the man he really blamed for the botch mission was no longer with the Agency – but after all of that he had finally figured out what to do to keep life as close to normal as possible. There was a constant movie playing in his head. He pieced together all he knew from before his accident to all he knew after and from that hotchpotch of information he was able to picture, almost like a dream, what was happening in the world around him. His mind formed up a mental image through the web of memories and new experiences to give him what he hoped was a clear view of the living room, where Levkov was standing, and where his father had inched himself back. For the briefest of moments Auggie wanted to revel in the look of utter shock that probably had been plastered on Christopher Anderson's face from the moment that he'd walked through the door. He wanted to, but finishing this was more important. In the long run, it was better for his job and everyone if his family remained happily oblivious, just like every other CIA agent's family.

With the mental map set up, Auggie reached out to the now overturned couch and jumped over it. The adrenaline pumped so hard in his ears that he might have never heard the cry that his father gave if he'd had the use of all five senses. As it was, his ears were far too sensitive to miss it and it stopped him dead in his tracks. The mental image had just changed, and not for the better. Damn. He'd forgotten just how quick Levkov really was.

"What is all of this, Alex?" Christopher managed to ask around the choke-hold that he suddenly found himself in. "What the hell do you want with us?"

"Us?" Levkov echoed, tightening his grip. "What is this 'us'? I only had an interest in your youngest son, Christopher. You and your family were only the tool to get there."

Chris' eyes flickered to his son. "Auggie, what is this?"

Auggie was standing very still, every muscle on him taught with expectation. His father's voice had sounded small, confused. It all sounded very odd.

"Perhaps he has not told you who he works for, Christopher?" Levkov asked, grinning wildly. "Of course, he could not place my voice until just before you walked in, so he could not have explained my part in it."

"In _what_?" Chris demanded. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Strange that the CIA will not even let you tell your father that you were blinded in a black ops mission, yes?"

At those words Christopher stiffened considerably, eyes wide. Auggie could hear the sharp intake of breath in an otherwise fairly quiet room. "Dad?" he managed, wondering why his voice sounded as if he were trying to apologize.

* * *

The term Langley almost seemed foreign in this setting to Annie. She stared, gaping and wide-eyed at the retired schoolteacher who looked as if he had just been thrown into something horrible.

"Listen to me, Miss Walker," Elkin said in a rushed voice. "I just got off the phone with your immediate boss. Joan Campbell."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Annie replied automatically.

"Of course you don't. I don't care if you never admit it, and better that you don't, but the fact is that Joan has been apprised of the situation, but not only is it now out of her jurisdiction, but if she and a small unit wanted to come here they would never make it in time."

"What are you saying?" Annie bit out, suddenly very aware of just how much trouble they might be in. She missed being just a quick phone away from Auggie, who could tell her anything and everything about what needed to be done with the mission. This wasn't a mission. This was a weekend vacation for Auggie's birthday. This was _not_ supposed to be happening. "What situation is this exactly?"

"How much do you know about Auggie's deployment in Iraq?"

"Enough."

He sighed. Typical. "Auggie was deployed under the cover of Army Special Forces after a Russian arms dealer that had been known to smuggle to both Iran and Iraq. He happened to be the lucky plant that found him in Iraq. Unlucky for Auggie, though, was that the dealer also found him."

"This guy set the bomb," Annie realized.

"Listen," the aging man said lowly, "we're running out of time. The police have been called for the fire and I had a few favors to call in with people outside the Agency."

Annie understood, but not happily. "What, you're bringing the Feds in?"

"It's their jurisdiction with this and they are much closer than your group in DC."

"Yeah, but you've forgotten one thing, Mr. Elkin."

Gunshots rang could be heard very subtly from the house and Elkin glanced back to make sure that Tammy and her guests were still busy with the fire. He turned back on Annie.

Her expression was set and determined. "I'm here. "

"You can't. Listen, kid, I'm too old for this stuff anymore. I'd be in the way more than I'd help, but you can't go in there without backup. This man is not a simulated exercise that you get on the Farm."

"I won't be going in without backup," Annie assured him. She grinned at his questioning expression. "Auggie's already in there, and I'm just playing his backup."

* * *

"This is crazy," Christopher murmured. "My son was never in the CIA."

"He still is."

"No,he's not. My son is blind, Alex, you know that. The CIA doesn't take someone that can't give them something."

"Very much."

"Listen, Levkov," Auggie said, reaching a hand in his direction. "You're not after him. He's nothing in all of this. Just a civilian."

"And a witness," Levkov growled.

The room hushed at the sound of the backdoor slamming open and then shut again. Someone was in the house. Levkov's grip tightened around Christopher's throat and the man made a choking sound. It took every bit of Auggie's self restraint not to jump into action then and there, but it'd be death for his father.

The lights shut off suddenly and without warning and Levkov let out a howl of frustration, cursing the lights in several languages. Auggie allowed himself a smirk of satisfaction. It should be dark enough now that it cast the living room in fairly dark shadows. He knew the source immediately as the smell of grapefruit wafted into his nose.

Levkov dropped Christopher who fell with a crash to the floor, stunned by the sudden intake of oxygen. He had no time to respond as something hard and heavy hit him in the back of the skull.

* * *

Tammy Anderson had expected the fire trucks, and even the police cars that drove up with them. What she could not fathom were the multiple black SUVs that also accompanied them. She began to move towards them and ask questions, but David Elkin beat her to it, surprisingly quick for his age.

One of the men that had stepped out from the SUV shook his hand. "David Elkin, you know I wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't called. We still have people in there?"

"Levkov is in there, along with three others. The owner of the house, his son and his son's lady friend."

"Innocent as far as we can tell?"

Elkin gave him a knowing look. "Very much."

"What's going on?" Tammy demanded.

"Give it to me straight, Elkin, are there any operatives in there? I need to know before I bust in."

"In where? What's going on?"

Elkin frowned. "You know that sort of thing is-"

"Elkin, you haven't been with the Agency for years. This is a matter of knowing if we need to protect civilians or if they have training to protect themselves."

The man slipped a vest on over his jacket that read "FBI" on it and Tammy just about lost it. "Now listen here, what is going on? We had a fire, not anything else!"

"You have more than you think, Tammy," Elkin said and turned back to the agent. "Christopher Anderson is former military, but I'd say most of that training has washed away over the years. His son and the girl…."

"Understood," the FBI agent answered and motioned for his men to move in.

Tammy grabbed Elkin's sleeve. "You tell me what's going on right now, David Elkin," she growled. "Auggie and Annie are in the house with Chris? What is going on?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Elkin encouraged. "Just stay right here. You'll be given an explanation after everything is finished here."

* * *

A/N: Much thanks to everyone who's been feeding the addiction! More to come, hopefully later today. We'll see. I get to go get to hear an old friend of my mom's sing tonight. Beach Boys and other music of that sort. Sounds like it'll be fun! =D


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine.

A/N: So, next chapter up. I did get it up today! Woot!

* * *

Auggie would have known the sound of an FBI agent a mile away. He felt Annie's hand on his shoulder, her perfume a welcoming comfort to him even as he dropped to one knee, the adrenaline finally wearing off and a lightheadedness catching him off his guard. He vaguely heard them calling questions, the sound of the lights flickering back to life, and Levkov – seemingly unconscious – being taken into federal custody.

"Sorry bastards," he grumbled and found himself tumbling none too gracefully the rest of the way to the floor.

"Hold still," she warned, kneeling next to him. Her cool fingers brushed along warm skin as she unbuttoned his vest and shirt to get a better look at his injury. His entire left side was soaked to the point that she could hardly find the entry wound. "Who's a sorry bastard, Auggie?"

"Feds. Joan's going to be pissed."

"I think that's the least of our worries right now," she murmured, finally peeling back the clothing. He hissed as it pulled at the skin, having been dried to it. "By the way, angry looking fed at eleven o'clock."

"Coming at us?"

"Oh yeah. With that 'I know who you people are' look on his face."

"Well," the FBI agent said in a low whistle. "Elkin never will give away a Spook, but you people do tend to turn up in the most unlikely of places."

"I'm sorry, but-"

"I know, I know. You don't know what I'm talking about. I'm Special Agent Peter Duskner, FBI." He flashed a badge. "You must be Anderson's son?" he directed at Auggie. "How bad are you hurt?"

Auggie frowned. The last he wanted to deal with was an FBI agent that thought he knew everything that was happening. More than likely, he didn't even know his full name yet. He let out a snort as he reached for Annie, a silent request for a hand up. "That would be me," he responded to the first question as Annie reluctantly helped ease him up. There was too much rivalry between their agencies to be found sitting around on his backside while the FBI agent loomed over him.

"Could I have your full names please?"

"No." Auggie's response was so quick and said with such a straight face that Annie had a difficult time not laughing at it. She'd heard how the tech agent often gave people he wasn't overly fond of a run for their money.

"Mr. Anderson, that wasn't really a request. I'm not too keen on the idea of having to go to your superior for your information, but if I have to-"

Auggie grinned, half laughing as he spoke. "Don't give me that crap, Duskner. You don't even know who my superior is or if I have one."

"Listen you," Duskner bit out, irritated as any FBI agent that Annie had dealt with. Ah, the fond memories of the morgue suddenly came back to her and she smiled. Duskner shot her a dirty look that told her to keep her mouth shut. "Listen, I know you people think you're something else with your secrets and your nameless operations, but about the only person I've ever seen come out of your Agency that I've had any respect for has been David Elkin out there, so if you'd be so kind as to not try my patience…. And at least look me in the eye," he growled, glaring dangerously at Auggie.

"That would be difficult," Auggie drawled, shifting his weight slightly and feeling Annie slide her arm around his back to take some of it on her own shoulders. Sweet girl, he didn't know what he'd do without her. He really would rather be speaking to her instead of the bimbo in front of him.

Duskner paled considerably. "I… I'm sorry…. I didn't…"

"In a strange sort of way that's the first compliment you've paid me today," the blind tech agent responded with a grin. "August Anderson."

"I'm sorry?"

"My name. August Anderson. If you'll excuse me, though, I think I'm going to go track down a medic before I pass out. That okay with you?"

"Yes," the FBI agent managed.

"Thanks so much."

Annie moved with him as he started for the door, looking a bit thrown off by the people everywhere. She tightened her grip on him, guiding him very subtly through the destruction, the police, the feds, and everything else that filled the house. If Auggie could have seen it he thought it might make him uneasy to see that the life he led might have put his family in danger.

Auggie's foot caught the leg of an overturned table and he stumbled, only barely catching himself and letting out a hiss of pain. "Give me a sec," he managed between gritted teeth.

Annie moved around him, easing him down to a chair and crouching down next to him. "Auggie, would you mind if I went to go get someone? You probably shouldn't be going to them."

He shook his head. "I can make it."

The blonde chewed on her lower lip, eyes trained on him. He was pale and sweat had gathered against his face. He was clammy to the touch and she wasn't sure how long he'd been bleeding like that, but it really did look like a lot of blood. She stood, resolved to go anyway, but he caught her wrist and pulled her back to him with a shocking amount of strength. "Auggie," she began to complain, but he pulled her down, so that she was nearly nose-to-nose with him.

Auggie's breath felt hot on her face and his long fingers reached up as if searching for something. They traced along her cheekbone, shaking slightly, and finally came to rest on her lips. As soon as they were found, Auggie leaned forward and kissed her. They melted together as if the world around them did not exist and Annie found her arms wrapped around his neck as he fell back into the chair. He clung tightly to her until they broke.

Annie stared at him for a moment, her eyes wide and questioning. His breaths came in short, pain filled gasps, but he made no move to continue their search for medical aid. Instead he reached for her hand and brought it up to his face, closing his eyes and breathing her in. "Yes," he murmured. "I've been trying to tell you all day."

When she finally realized that he was referring to the earlier conversation she let out a short laugh. "Auggie…"

"I have," he protested. "Everything seems to have been against me actually telling you, but…" He paused, listening carefully to her reaction.

Annie smiled and kissed him again, though much briefer this time. "You know, as happy as I am that you're finally getting that out, I'd rather have you patched up so we can continue the conversation at length later."

Auggie seemed to mull that over for a moment before nodding. "I think that might be a good idea."

He listened to her fading steps and felt himself slump down in the chair. He remembered that when he could see, passing out had been merely slipping into the darkness that clawed at him. He could remember that. Now, he wasn't sure what it was anymore. His thoughts faded into nothingness and the next thing he knew Annie was calling his name frantically. He was lying on the floor and a short laugh escaped his lips as a far-away memory of his mother yelling at him as a small child came to the forefront of his memory. He'd busted his knee in a scuffle with one of his brothers in the yard and had come in to deal with it. In the process he'd left a trail behind him blood. It hadn't been bad, he just hadn't been careful. Now the only thought that seemed to make sense in his mind was that his mother was going to yell at him for ruining her beautiful floors with all of that blood.

"Step back, ma'am," an unfamiliar voice said and he heard what sounded like Annie being urged backward.

Annie. Auggie came fully to very quickly, as if swimming up through thick, dark water. He wasn't rewarded with light when he broke the surface, but clarity of mind was back. "Annie?"

"Right here, Auggie," she promised from behind the sound of scurrying medics.

Auggie groaned as hands pulled at him from seemingly every direction. He wanted to fall back down beneath the water's surface again, but he knew that would worry Annie. He couldn't bring himself to do it, so he simply steeled himself and gritted his teeth against the pain.

Annie stood a few feet away, eyes focused solely on the injured tech agent. She barely heard Christopher approach from behind. The aging man laid a hand on her shoulder, jolting her out of her haze. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

She looked back at him, startled. There was something strange about his eyes as he stared at the paramedics encircling his youngest son on his living room floor. "Yes, of course," she answered, the reaction one of many ingrained in her system after her time on the Farm.

"Have they said if August will be?"

"I… I don't know," she answered soberly.

"He saved my life tonight," he murmured, his voice distant and unsure. "That man… that man that's been our neighbor for nearly a year now… He was going to shoot me, but Auggie stopped him. My son stopped him."

Annie's cell phone rang before she had a chance to answer him and she looked down at it, forgetting she had even brought it with her. Apparently it had been going off for a while. With an encouraging smile in Christopher's direction, she flipped open the phone. "Joan," she greeted. "I'm fine, yes." She paused, eyes wandering to where they were now lifting Auggie onto a stretcher. His hand groped outward with her name on his lips. She moved forward and grasped it. "Joan? Can I call you back?" she asked through tears and hung the phone up. "Hey."

"Hiya," he answered back, gripping her hand gently. All of the strength that he'd pulled her into the kiss with earlier had left him and he merely looked tired. "I'll be fine."

"I know. You're stubborn."

"You don't know the half of it," he grinned, squeezing her hand. "You needed here?"

She shook her head and murmured that she was not.

"Well, I really hate hospitals. I mean, I **_really_** hate them, so I was wondering if you'd ride with me. I mean, for all the skills in the world I don't think I can talk these people into just finding me a place to lay down here."

Annie laughed as a lopsided grin stretched across his face. He'd be okay, she realized as he clung tightly to her hand.

* * *

A/N: I'm thinking that I may add an epilogue and that'll be it for this one, guys. It's been a blast =D


	10. Chapter 10

Epilogue

A/N: Being as I've never been shot, I only have a vague idea how long it might take for him to return to work and such. Bear with me on that, please. If it's off, just replace the number of weeks he's been gone in your head. It's just to give a reference to time. =)

* * *

(6 weeks later)

Allen's Tavern bustled with its usual crowd of political officials, college students, and of course its usual round of off-duty spooks. Several tables had been pushed together to accommodate some of its regulars, and even some that had not graced the old tavern with their presence since their younger days.

"All I have to say is that everything better be _exactly_ how I left it when I get back tomorrow," Auggie told Stu with a grin hidden behind his beer glass. "The last time I had any time off of work I couldn't find anything for a week."

"You say that like it was my doing," Stu responded laughing.

"No one has touched your desk, Auggie," a new voice said and the sound of a necklace clinking reached the sound of Auggie's ears.

He grinned. "Joan. So glad you could join us. Arthur make it?"

"He might," she answered and pulled a chair back.

"You really going to let him come back to work tomorrow?" Conrad grinned from across the table.

"She better, or I'm going to go stir crazy."

"Which will drive everyone else crazy," Joan murmured, a smirk perking her lips. "Evening Annie."

Auggie perked, the scent of grapefruit reaching his nose. A smile lit his face and he felt a pair of arms encircle him from behind in a hug. "Hiya," she greeted and he felt her lips brush the top of his ear as she spoke.

The last few weeks had been strange and difficult. After Alexei Levkov had been taken into federal custody – much to both Joan and Auggie's chagrin – and Auggie had been rushed to the nearby hospital in Glencoe, Joan and a small unit with her had descended on the little town. Even if she had not been able to grab the Russian arms dealer from the FBI, she had made Special Agent Duskner's life a living hell until she'd left the scene. That, on a small scale, took away some of the bitter aftertaste of a weekend gone far too wrong.

"So, I've got to ask," Conrad said as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes flickering to his boss' wife every couple of seconds for any signs that he should just keep his mouth shut. "How did you ever explain this away to your family?"

Auggie laughed into his glass, half choking as he did. "Most of them were outside to begin with," he answered, having relayed the story once or twice that evening already, "and my three middle brothers will believe most anything that's told to them. Same with my mom, but I don't know if she actually believes it as much as she wants to believe it." He tilted his head towards Annie. "Do you remember the final concoction that we gave them?"

"I'll have to read back on the details. Brant didn't buy it, did he?"

"No, I don't think so, but he won't push it too much, I don't think."

"But wasn't your dad inside the house when all of this was going on?"

"It's been taken care of," Joan cut in, eyeing him carefully. "That's all you need to know."

"Oh!" Annie reached for Auggie's arm, signifying that she was trying to catch his attention. "I think I saw a familiar face on the way in. I mean, I could have him mixed up, we were all pretty rushed through all of that, but the bow tie gives him away…."

Auggie laughed and shook his head. "By the front?"

"Yeah."

"Care to take a walk?" he asked as he stood slowly, reaching for his walking stick. "Back in a minute."

Annie looped her arm through his, catching the wink from Conrad, the somewhat 'I knew it!' look from Stu, and a darker, slightly jealous look from Jai who had been unusually quiet since he'd joined the table. They passed Arthur Campbell on their way out and assured him that they'd be back momentarily.

"Good to see you two have remained in one piece," David Elkin said as he leaned up against his car.

"Contrary to your belief, I do tend to stay that way," Auggie grinned. "You know, I can't believe I never thought to look at your files before now."

"Cheat," Elkin grinned and clapped the younger man on the shoulder.

Auggie shrugged. "Hey, I am the best at my job and I can find anything."

"I don't question it," the retired agent replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, there's someone that'd like to speak to you. Miss Walker, won't you take a walk with me for a moment?"

Annie turned to see the car door open and Christopher Anderson step out. His face was drawn and he looked exhausted. He never looked her way, but kept his eyes trained on his youngest son. "Of course," she murmured in response, releasing Auggie's arm and moving away with Elkin.

Christopher cleared his throat, looking as if he felt very awkward. "August."

"Hey Dad," Auggie greeted soberly. "What are you doing in DC? I thought you hated this city." While his mother had spent more than enough time in the hospital after the entire incident – more than Auggie was even comfortable with – he had barely seen his father. He wasn't too surprised, if he were honest with himself. After all, Christopher Anderson always seemed to find some reason to be frustrated or angry or disappointed in his youngest son. The newest route to take to that was probably going to be that Auggie had lied to the family for the past ten years or so. Joan may have convinced Chris to continue the lie to Tammy – and Joan was _very_ convincing when she needed to be – but that didn't excuse Auggie for it.

"I do hate DC," his father responded, voice gruff and irritable.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them and Auggie shifted. "So why come?" he asked finally.

Christopher inhaled deeply, as if to calm himself, and let it out as a sigh. His breathing told his son that he was opening his mouth as if to speak, but then stopping himself in the last second. Auggie frowned deeply. This was a waste of time.

"If you're not going to say anything, then I've got friends that I was actually having a good time with," the tech agent said sharply, turning to leave.

He wasn't expecting his father's next move. Christopher took hold of his son and pulled him into a hug, leaving the younger man stiff and unsure. It had been years since his father had shown any sort of affection towards him. He'd never been one to offer it out freely to many, but his youngest son had received little throughout his life. After a moment Auggie returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry," Christopher murmured into his son's hair. "I'm so sorry, Auggie."

"It's fine," Auggie managed a response. "Really. We all came out of it alive."

Chris released him and Auggie thought he might have heard him shaking his head in response. He was sure, though, that he heard a choked sob escape his stoic father.

* * *

"They're fine," Elkin assured Annie as she glanced back to where they'd left father and son only a few minutes before. "I promise."

She sighed and frowned, turning back to him. "So what's your story?"

"I have a story?" the aged man smiled.

This brought a small smirk to her lips and she wondered if every agent spoke in that way once they'd retired. "Everyone has a story, Mr. Elkin."

He returned her smile and motioned for her to take a seat at one of the outlying tables. "I retired from the Agency… years ago, when I met my wife. We were older and neither of us had children, so we moved to Glencoe for a quiet retirement from a fast life. I did actually pick up a teaching job at the local high school where I met Auggie. He had the spark."

"Spark?" Annie echoed, glancing back again at the man in question.

Elkin nodded. "There's a spark in someone that makes them a good field agent. From what I've heard, he made a damn fine one. From what I saw six weeks ago, I know he still would." He paused, looking at his folded hands. "I _may_ have slipped his name to some people that I knew."

"I knew it!" Annie laughed. When her laughter died, a more serious look took its place. "What did Christopher want?"

"You have to understand something about Christopher Anderson," Elkin murmured. "He's a strong, proud man. He's never hated his son. He just didn't know _how_ to respond. Tammy is the one who is all bubbling emotions in that family, and if she's that way then Chris is just the opposite. I lived two doors down long enough to know."

"He barely came by the hospital," Annie pointed out.

"He spoke to me on the way here," Elkin confided. "He said that fathers were supposed to protect their sons, not the other way around. While he doesn't hate Auggie for his blindness, he certainly doesn't understand how to cope with it. Auggie had done wonders in the short time that he's been given, but Chris… Chris moves slower than his son. It took this long for him to work up the emotional courage to simply come and say 'thank you.'"

Annie looked back again, and saw the two men shake hands, smiles playing on their faces. Christopher's much more tentative than his sons, but smiles nevertheless.

Elkin stood. "Well, that's my signal to leave," he said. "Give Joan my best in case Arthur doesn't tell her."

"Will do."

Annie watched as Auggie moved back to her and Elkin and Christopher got in the car and drove away. The encounter had been strange, but so had everything since Auggie's birthday.

"I don't know about you," Auggie said as he approached her, "but I'm in need of another beer."

Annie grinned and took his offered arm. Together they moved back to friends and co-workers to spend the last evening together before everything went back to whatever it was that CIA agents might have considered normal.

* * *

A/N: I'm trying to post this before I go out to start the day, so if there are any blaring grammatical errors, let me know and I'll go back to fix them. This has been fun, guys! Ya'll are amazing with all the reviews (and cookies!). It's been a real blast. I've got a couple of oneshots floating around my head right now, so I'm certainly not done, and I'm sure I will _**really **_have some ideas after next week's episode! =P Totally looking forward to that one! Well, just as a note, the way I tend to write for a single fandom is that all my stories are interconnected, so even if it's not a technical sequel, anything else I write for CA will likely have references to each other. I know I told someone in response to a review that I've set up at least one oneshot in one of these chapters that I'm poking at.

Hope ya'll enjoyed it!

TS


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